Copyright: ©Author(s) 2026. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. No commercial re-use. See permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
World J Gastrointest Surg. Aug 27, 2026; 18(8): 121170
Published online Aug 27, 2026. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.121170
Published online Aug 27, 2026. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.121170
Curative endoscopic closure of a chronic esophagopleural fistula after Boerhaave syndrome using an over-the-scope clip: A case report
Naoto Takahashi, Shigeaki Baba, Haruka Nikai, Ryosuke Fujisawa, Akira Umemura, Hiroyuki Nitta, Akira Sasaki, Department of Surgery, Iwate Medical University School of Medicine, Shiwa-gun 028-3695, Iwate, Japan
Yosuke Toya, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Iwate Medical University School of Medicine, Shiwa-gun 028-3695, Iwate, Japan
Fumitaka Endo, Takeshi Iwaya, Department of Clinical Oncology, Iwate Medical University School of Medicine, Shiwa-gun 028-3695, Iwate, Japan
Author contributions: Takahashi N and Baba S contributed to the conception and design of the study; Takahashi N drafted the manuscript; Toya Y and Nikai H performed the endoscopic procedure and contributed to clinical management; Fujisawa R, Endo F, and Umemura A collected and interpreted the clinical data; Iwaya T, Nitta H, and Sasaki A supervised the study and critically revised the manuscript for important intellectual content. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
AI contribution statement: The author acknowledges the use of ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI, to assist with English language editing during the manuscript preparation process. The software was used solely to improve the clarity, grammar, and readability of the text. No part of the manuscript, including data collection, interpretation, or scientific content, was generated by AI.
Informed consent statement: Written informed consent was obtained from the patient for the publication of this case report and any accompanying images.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
CARE Checklist (2016) statement: The authors have read the CARE Checklist (2016), and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the CARE Checklist (2016).
Corresponding author: Naoto Takahashi, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Sur
Received: March 18, 2026
Revised: April 10, 2026
Accepted: June 4, 2026
Published online: August 27, 2026
Processing time: 152 Days and 15.9 Hours
Revised: April 10, 2026
Accepted: June 4, 2026
Published online: August 27, 2026
Processing time: 152 Days and 15.9 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: The development of a chronic esophagopleural fistula following conservative management of Boerhaave syndrome is rare, such fistulas are difficult to treat, particularly in patients who are poor candidates for surgical intervention. We report a case in which a small chronic esophagopleural fistula was successfully closed using an over-the-scope clip combined with adequate pleural drainage and infection control. This case suggests that with appropriate patient selection and comprehensive management, over-the-scope clip can provide a minimally invasive and effective treatment option for chronic esophageal fistulas in high-risk surgical candidates.